Westbrook's Riverwalk Is Being Rebuilt as a Loop, One Bank at a Time

The 1.06-acre lot between Main Street and the Presumpscot is still parking today. The City of Westbrook took construction bids to turn it into Saccarappa Park through October 29, 2026. Across the river, a separate project called Riverwalk North held its third neighborhood meeting on September 29. That project now has a trail alignment, a $4 million federal grant and a schedule that runs into 2029.

Together, the two projects change the shape of the downtown walk. The walk you know follows the south bank behind the buildings on Main Street, one way. The plans in front of the city turn it into a loop on both banks. The first piece to arrive opens the river onto Main Street itself.

The walk as it stands this fall

Maine Trail Finder lists the Westbrook River Walk at 1.20 miles one way. It is rated Level 1, with gravel, boardwalk and paved sections. Dogs are allowed and there's no fee. The May 2026 Main Street Maine guide to downtown Westbrook calls it a one-mile Riverwalk, so think of it as roughly a mile.

The route runs along the south bank, linking ballfields and park space. It passes Saccarappa Falls just west of Bridge Street, where benches on the boardwalk face the water. From there you can see the old mill buildings and ruins on the far bank. The footbridge crossing the river is attached to the side of a railroad bridge, and Trail Finder describes it as a good spot for watching birds and kayakers.

All of that stays. The Saccarappa Park plans keep the existing boardwalk in place. What changes is what sits around the walk and how far it reaches.

Stage one: the river comes out to Main Street

Right now, the lot beside the boardwalk works as a back door to the river. The city's design for Saccarappa Park splits it into two halves:

• The Main Street half gets an open-sided, roofed structure for events like concerts and farmers' markets.
• The center becomes a hardscape plaza that leads down to the water.
• The waterside half gets curving paths, native plantings and lawn for play or picnics, with plenty of benches facing the river.
• The Riverwalk itself extends through the park toward the Dana Street redevelopment next door and farther west up the Presumpscot, for walking and biking.

Those features came out of a community questionnaire around May 2025 and two design sessions the city held on April 7 and May 21, 2025. The city's FAQ lists the kinds of events it expects the park to host:

farmers' markets, small concerts, art shows, cultural festivals, neighborhood gatherings, picnics, prom/wedding picture location, exercise classes, etc.

Anyone can get an event permit and reserve space through the Clerk's Office.

Some practical details matter more if you use this lot now. The city points drivers to the downtown parking garage and says on-street parking along Main Street will be limited. The park will have a small parking area with two ADA spaces, a Metro stop across Main Street and bike racks by the river. Paths and the event structure will be lit. The park won't have permanent restrooms, though portable units may be brought in for hosted events.

The city expects early site work this winter, 2026 to 2027, then construction in spring 2027 and completion by the end of 2027. It says that schedule will be firmed up once a contractor is chosen.

Stage two: closing the loop on the north bank

Saccarappa Park extends the south side. Riverwalk North is what turns the walk into a loop. According to the September 29 meeting minutes, the new trail would connect to the existing south-bank Riverwalk at two crossings: the Bridge Street Pedestrian Bridge and the Black Bridge, which runs along Brown Street. It would also tie into Saccarappa Park and a future Riverwalk West extension.

North-bank neighbors would get three new ways onto the trail from the sidewalk network:

1. Dana Court
2. Garfield Street
3. The corner of Reserve and River streets

The design is an 8-foot-wide trail, at ground level on the western and eastern ends with a boardwalk in between. Fencing and railings go in some sections. The current plan calls for a wooden boardwalk on helical piers. The widest part of the property would become a small riverside pocket park with seating and native plants brought back. The project team also plans to manage invasive plants along the corridor. Norway maple, Oriental bittersweet, Japanese knotweed and multiflora rose are the most common.

The north bank had to come second because the land carries leftover pollution from its industrial past. The site has been developed since the mid-1800s, beginning with the Westbrook Manufacturing Company near today's Dana Warp Mill. The rest of the strip once carried power from the old dam powerhouse to the paper mill. That history qualified the city for a $4 million U.S. EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant, which pays to clean up old industrial land for new use. So far it has funded planning and design for the riverwalk. The whole project is budgeted at $8 million. The grant will probably be spent early in construction, and the rest of the funding is still being lined up. The Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corporation put in $300,000 about three years ago.

Neighbors have already changed the plan. About 30 people came to each of the two 2025 meetings. Since then the trail has been moved, and fencing and plantings were added to address privacy concerns. Residents have also asked for lighting along the whole trail. Lighting, railing and fencing details will be worked out later in design.

The dates that decide when you can walk it

The two projects overlap, so it helps to see them in one sequence. Here is the order laid out in the city's FAQ and the September minutes:

So the south side changes first, with a Main Street park expected by the end of 2027. The north side starts building that same summer and keeps going after the park is done. The planning documents for Riverwalk North, including the cleanup plan, are kept at Westbrook City Hall, 2 York Street, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They're also posted on the city's Riverwalk North page. If you want notices of upcoming Planning Board and council meetings, the project team sends them to a contact list built from earlier meetings. You can reach the team by email through the city project manager or through the project's Facebook post.

A walk for this fall, with stops along the way

This route covers the stretch both projects will change, while the lot is still a lot and the north bank is still overgrown.

1. Coffee on Main. Start at The Daily Grind, 820 Main Street. The 2026 Main Street Maine guide lists it for coffee and baked goods.
2. The future park. Walk down to the Saccarappa Park lot and the boardwalk benches facing the falls. That view is the one the new plaza and paths are being designed around.
3. The far bank. Look across at the old mill buildings. Dana Warp Mill, at 90 Bridge Street, now houses studios, makers and small businesses, according to Main Street Maine. Underdog Candles is in Suite 1136. Its April 2026 event also included Bloom Consignment in Suite 1166 and Northstar Vintage in Suite 339. Some mill tenants aren't open to the public, so check each shop's hours before you go.
4. The crossing. Cross on the footbridge attached to the railroad bridge for the view up and down the river.
5. Dinner back on Main. The Press Herald reported that Bombay Bistro opened early this year in the former Frog & Turtle space on Bridge Street. On Main Street, Istanbul Restaurant and Bakery at 888 Main serves Turkish and Mediterranean food. Blazes Burgers is now at 861 Main, according to Downtown Westbrook's restaurant finder. Mast Landing Brewing Company's taproom at 920 Main hosted a downtown business event this October. Westbrook On Tap does craft beer and pizza. To pick something up for home, Medeo European Food & Deli is at 529 Main Street.

When the holidays arrive, Light Up Westbrook puts the spotlight on downtown restaurants and businesses along the same blocks. By the end of 2027, if the schedule holds, that loop will also take you through a lit park with a covered event structure on Main Street.

If you have questions about how the riverfront work could affect homes near Dana Court, Garfield Street or the Main Street blocks by Saccarappa Park, Shawn Losier at Freeman Group follows these Westbrook projects and can talk through what's planned near you. Let's Connect.